Lower Forster Street, West Midlands: Barnsby Saddles

Available for over a year

The leather making industry in Walsall played a huge part in the war effort during World War One. One of the oldest family run firms in the town was Jabez Cliff and Co, which is still a family owned business today, now called Barnsby Saddles. At the outbreak of war they were making saddles, belts, leather products to pull guns and heavy artillery for the British army and had lucrative markets in Germany and Russia. War changed their company overnight as it did for many other companies involved in the leather industry in Walsall. Markets in Germany and Russia came to an end and the leather industry focused on production for the war effort. At the outbreak of war the company was making golf bags. As the demand for golf bags dwindled during the conflict; it was decided that golf bags were perfect to store torpedoes. Many men worked for the company during the Great War and still had to fight. Those injured in battle with less severe wounds were kept close to the front line rather than sent home mainly because of their skills at working with leather. The company maintain the link with the military to this day still providing saddles and other leather equipment to the Household Cavalry. Location: Barnsby Saddles, Lower Forster Street, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 1XB Image shows a derelict part of the former Jabez Cliff and Co building Presented by BBC WM’s Richard Wilford